Chicago would be lucky to stay a two-paper town

I was privileged, in different decades, to serve on the boards of directors of both Chicago newspapers, the Chicago Sun-Times and the Chicago Tribune. I love newspapers; they are the essence of democracy and good citizenship.

In 1947, my father-in-law, Salem N. Baskin, persuaded Marshall Field III and Richard Finnegan to merge their two papers, the Chicago Sun and the Chicago Daily Times, to create the Sun-Times. Seventy years later, the Sun-Times and the Tribune will come under common ownership. Many readers will find this sad, but it is promised that two independent editorial voices will be preserved.

It would be dangerous to the democratic process if we had only one newspaper. Seven centuries ago, Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press to marry print to paper. Today we are witnessing print and paper in the process of a divorce. As digital communications replace print and paper, Chicagoans need access to independent voices if we are to have well informed citizens.